Mehsud behind Benzair’s killing, says Musharraf

* Former president says Pakistan is secure as long as armed forces are intact

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: There is no doubt that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud is responsible for the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, former president Pervez Musharraf has said.

He told a private TV channel it was untrue that he had offered Benazir the premiership for her cooperation. He said Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed for challenging the writ of government, and claimed a foreign hand was involved in subversive activities in Pakistan. “They are sending arms from abroad in a bid to destabilise the country,” he added.

Secure nation: Separately, the former president told German weekly Spiegel that nothing could happen to Pakistan as long as its armed forces were intact and strong. He said he felt Pakistan could only be destabilised if the Inter-Services Intelligence and the army were weakened.

Musharraf said he was not sure US President Barack Obama understood the reality in Pakistan. He said the Americans were hated in Pakistan today due to the drone attacks, adding the US should find a way to allow the Pakistan Army to conduct such attacks itself. He said he would be willing to serve as a future ambassador for peace between Pakistan and India if the two governments trusted him to do so.

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